Hook and Irons

Above all, I craved to seize the whole essence, in the confines of one single photograph, of some situation that was in the process of unrolling itself before my eyes.

-Henri Cartier-Bresson

When we set about creating Hook & Irons Co., it was always with the thought that we would reach out and collaborate with people in the fire service we admire. And when the subject of fire photography came up, Bill Noonan was our first choice. You see, Bill has been the official photographer for the Boston Fire Department for over forty years. In that time, he has tirelessly chronicled the men and the history of their fine department. When you visit his site, you will literally find thousands of photos of the brave men of the Boston Fire Department. Documented are action shots, candids, portraits of sooty-faced Jakes after some hard fought fire, light-hearted shots that show the brotherhood of the service, and historic shots documenting the old stations and rigs of the BFD. All the images Bill has compiled over the years are iconic and they tell a thousand stories.

More importantly, and maybe this is the reason why Bill Noonan's photos strike such an emotional chord with their audience, is that these are not just faces that he happened upon, these are also Bill's friends and brothers--people he has known his whole life. These are the men and women that he has grown up and alongside with. Maybe that's why the faces looking back at the camera are so trusting.

We are honored that Bill allowed us to share a few of his photos. All the pictures on our home page banner are Bill Noonan's photos and we couldn't have asked for a better way to launch Hook & Irons Co. than by displaying his work.

If you are interested in seeing more of Bill Noonans photos you can visit his website, or you can like his Facebook page. He posts almost daily about everything and anything related to the Boston Fire Department and the fire service in general whether it be parades, gatherings, funerals, or anniversaries of line of duty deaths suffered by the men of the BFD. Bill Noonan is truly an artist and historian of the fire service. Here are a few more photos from his collection.